The Crucible Essay Examples

534 words - 2 pages
The Crucible In the opening of The Crucible, we learned that in this small town of Salem, the citizens are more than willing to accept lies in order to promote hatred, greed and to obtain vindication for their own jealousy. A crucible is defined as a severe test that is exactly what this story by Arthur Miller is all about. A test of the human spirit, and a test to overcome stigma and defamation of character.The Crucible introduced us to a variety of characters the liars, the betrayed, the martyrs, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The children's lie to avoid punishment only perpetuated the destruction of lives. This can be seen vividly through the transformation of John Proctor. Proctor
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585 words - 2 pages
A crucible in reality is a device, not unlike a cauldron, used to separate metal from ore by heat, however Arthur Miller titled his book, The Crucible, in order to indicate how people under intense pressure to confess their sins were altered by the experience. When it was over, those who had personal integrity were revealed, like a precious metal refined in a crucible, while other characters were found to be composed of "base metal". Some characters in the play changed due to what they had to undergo during the play and some did not. In the following paragraphs, three characters are discussed: John Proctor, who changes during the course of the play, Reverend Hale, who also changes, and
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523 words - 2 pages
The Crucible Killing the innocent for the sake of the guilty, vindicating personal vendettas, hiding instead of facing what the people of Salem caused, and turning civility and justice in to the playhouse for ones imagination is merely a few of the atrocities displayed in this brilliantly written play, The Crucible, buy Arthur Miller. This play exploits the disasters of the Salem witch trials in the late 1600's. Intentionally or unintentionally, each of these people caused harm to the others and contributed to the death of innocent people hanged as witches in Salem Village in 1692. After studying Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, the three people most to blame for the witch hysteria and
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637 words - 3 pages
Reverend Hale is a dynamic character in Miller's The Crucible as he is challenged by John Proctor's courage. He starts out very convincing and seems to know exactly what he wants. John Proctor is a very strong and courageous character. He influences Reverend Hale so much that Hale completely changes his mind about Salem, the court, and witches.Reverend Hale enters Salem as a very strong character that knows what he wants to do. He is very sure of himself. "They must be, they are weighted with authority" (p. 36). When he arrives in Salem, he is absolutely sure of witchcraft. "The devil is precise-the marks of his presence are as definite as stone." (p. 38), "Are you gathering souls for the
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521 words - 2 pages
The title of the play "The Crucible" means a test of one's beliefs. The title fits the play perfectly because many people's beliefs are questioned. One of the people was John Proctor. In the play "The Crucible", John's first mistake was his affair with Abigail. During the play he tries his best to stay away from Abigail. This way John wouldn't be tempted by Abigail. John made the decision that his wife is more important to him and he wishes to try to save his marriage so to stay away from Abigail was a good decision. Abigail still insists that John still has feelings for her. John tells her, "Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I'll ever
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564 words - 2 pages
"The Crucible" The definition of integrity according to Webster'sDictionary is, "a rigid adherence to a code of behavior." There arethough many ways to look at a persons integrity. A person with integritypossesses many qualities. Three of these qualities are honesty, theability to follow a moral code, and loyalty to yourself and your beliefs. In The Crucible, a prime example of a person with integrity is ElizabethProctor. Elizabeth shows her personal purity when she refuses to persuadeher husband to confess to crimes of witchcraft. She refuses because shebelieves that he is good now in God's light. God, to her, will show herthe right way, and she believes that by following
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1300 words - 5 pages
September 27, 2001 English The Crucible Pride, a simple five letter word that has played an important role throughout the history of man kind. The word pride caused ancient Egyptians to make amazing monuments like pyramids and golden tombs, it caused the French to build a world known monument, the Eiffel tower, but has also taken the lives of many men. Wars, battles, crusades, murders, hate, cold-heartedness, and many more, are great examples of when men think too much of themselves and have excessive pride and would rather have their prides than their own lives. The Crucible is a story that takes place in a small town and it is about this girl, Abigail Williams, that has an affair
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796 words - 3 pages
The Crucible, the movie version, was produced in order to pay tribute and shed more light on the catastrophic witch trials during the late 1600's. Previously to the movie, Author Miller wrote a novel to portray the events that had unfolded in Salem, Massachusetts. I found that the movie tried too hard to stay true to the novel and was ultimately limited in it's abilities to deliver an interesting and crowd pleasing movie. To make matters worse, it was severely weakened by its lack of character development, which led the audience to lose interest in the movie.Taking place in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, the crucible opens with a group of teenage girls dancing in the forest while trying
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987 words - 4 pages
Character Insights The word, Crucible, has several different meanings. A crucible is a hollow area at the bottom of a furnace in which liquid metal is collected. A crucible is also a severe and searching test. The characters in the book all face very difficult, severe and very challenging tests. The play can be related to the first definition of the crucible because, the liquid metal being collected could represent the girls who were conjuring spirits, the furnace could represent hell in which they will be going because, of all the innocent people's lives they put on the line. Insight is used throughout the play many times and is experienced by many of the characters. Insight means: the
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822 words - 3 pages
The Crucible Many of the characters in The Crucible become changed by the end of the play.Three of the characters who change a lot are John Proctor, Reverend Hale, and Mary Warren. It is shown that John Proctor changes in his willingness to have anything to do with the witch hunt and his moral decisions. Reverend Hale changes his personal outlook on and role in the witch hunt throughout the play, and he changes his general attitude towards the justness of witch hunts, the court, and the church. Mary Warren changes her mind about her role in the witch hunt several times, and she also must change her morals or ideas about sin. Each character's changes make huge impacts their lives and
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819 words - 3 pages
Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" is a play based on the Salem witch trials of the 1600's. The play is set in Salem, Massachusetts in the year 1692. The Puritan colony in which the story takes place is split into two main groups- Salem Village and Salem Town, forming much of the political roots and climate. Salem Town is of higher class, with businesses and industry, and Salem Village is a farming community of lower class. John Proctor, a farmer of Salem Village, shows his individuality from society through the course of the play by challenging the justice of the court while maintaining his beliefs.John Proctor is a kind-hearted hardworking man who loves his wife dearly. However, he recently
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706 words - 3 pages
The ammendments are a set of rules that lay down the law with justice. All people must live through these ammendments and follow them. But that is not the case in " The Crucible" by Arthur Miller. Events in this story violate ammendments one, four, five, six, and eight. I will use evidence from the text to present how this story contravened ammendments, one , four, and five. Ammendment one gives the people the right to freedom of speech and expression, it gives them religous freedom, it prohibits the involvement of law in religion, and it gives them a chance to say what they want against the goverment.In " The Crucible " the people were being forced to go to church,even though they
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869 words - 4 pages
The Healing Power Of Forgiveness - The Gift of Reconciliation"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."---Mahatma GandhiForgiveness is a process of inner healing. For most of the people in The Crucible, they did not need to necessarily forgive others; but forgive themselves. The Crucible is a story of mass hysteria in a period of time in which men dominated women. However, Arthur Miller portrays Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Procter as two women with drastic roles to play. John Procter is a man who has great influence over the people of Salem. They speak to him because he is a man of truth and integrity. There are many other characters in the novel although
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2715 words - 11 pages
GumanganArna Alyssa GumanganMrs. Robyn SwarthoutAP Language/Composition13 August 2014The CrucibleBibliographical entry MLA style:Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Viking Penguin, 1953. Print.Brief author biography:Arthur Miller was an American playwright whose biting criticism of societal problems defined his genius. Born in Harlem, New York, in October 17, 1915, Miller attended the University of Michigan before moving back east to produce plays for the stage. His first critical and popular success was Death of a Salesman, which opened on Broadway in 1949. Like most classics, The Crucible is a dramatic exploration of historical events. The Crucible, which premiered in 1953, is a
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2715 words - 11 pages
GumanganArna Alyssa GumanganMrs. Robyn SwarthoutAP Language/Composition13 August 2014The CrucibleBibliographical entry MLA style:Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Viking Penguin, 1953. Print.Brief author biography:Arthur Miller was an American playwright whose biting criticism of societal problems defined his genius. Born in Harlem, New York, in October 17, 1915, Miller attended the University of Michigan before moving back east to produce plays for the stage. His first critical and popular success was Death of a Salesman, which opened on Broadway in 1949. Like most classics, The Crucible is a dramatic exploration of historical events. The Crucible, which premiered in 1953, is a
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658 words - 3 pages
The Crucible The Crucible is a historical play that is based on the events of the Salem witchcraft trials that takes place in a small Puritan village in Massachusetts in 1692. Silly accusations of witchcraft by some mischievous girls gradually take possession in Salem. Many innocent people were accused and convicted of witchcraft. When the play opens, a group of young girls such as Abigail Williams and Betty Parris were conjuring up spirits in the forest. When Reverend Samuel Parris discovers the girls dancing in the forest, his daughter, Betty Paris was frightened and fainted. Reverend Parris sends for Reverend Hale in hopes that he will confirm that there are no unnatural causes at
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2015 words - 8 pages
THE CRUCIBLEThis notion of controlling the public population is echoed in the play The Crucible directed by Micholas Hytner. The Crucible is a text which tells of power and how the powerful control the fragile, influential town of Salem. After a young girl Abigail and her friends were caught apparently 'dancing naked in the woods, the rumour of witches overwhelms the small town. The witch hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic set in among all classes where, similar to Nineteen Eighty-Four, fear kept the masses controlled and ensured conformity. Authorities are brought in to purify the town, however true power does not reside with Reverend Hale or Judge Danforth. They have the
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557 words - 2 pages
In the play The Crucible, written by Authur Miller, the main idea is to show how accusing people is wrong and has been going on for a long time. When the play starts a group of girls are caught dancing in the woods and accused of witchcraft. The girls in turn accuse the townspeople of witchcraft. In the end many people were wrongfully accused and nineteen were killed. In the town of Salem, fear and hysteria, integrity and courage, and greed are rampant. Throughout the story, fear and hysteria plague the town of Salem. Fear and hysteria begins to show at the beginning of the story when people start suspecting witchcraft. According to Mary Warren, "What'll we do? The village is out! I
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1343 words - 6 pages
Analyse how settings are used to help you understand characters in the written text(s).
Through time it can be seen that the world’s history has a nature of repeating its self. Author Miller, was aware of this as he experienced a repitition of history of society’s flawed government. In the text The Crucible, the writer, Author Miller has identified and illustrated the problems society faced during the 1950’s setting by drawing parallels with the setting of the 1962 Salem witch hunt. This setting helps readers to understand the characters of John Proctor and Giles Corey.
During Author Miller’s era of the 1950’s, the ‘cold war’ was happening. Senetor Joeseph McCarthy was completely against
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1138 words - 5 pages
Proctors Grave Mistake
Corruption has always existed in our society since the beginning to present time due to conspiracies such as the witch trials and the communism era. The Crucible by Arthur Miller was written during the era of communism to mere the hysteria. The Crucible is about the Salem witch trials in Salem Massachusetts in 1692. It’s a corrupt witch trial in Salem that’s due to false accusations of witchcraft for personal gains. John Proctor is the protagonist in the story The Crucible who goes through the ultimate test by choosing his reputation over integrity. He also had an affair with a young girl named Abigail who is the antagonist and is the main reason the bloodshed is
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764 words - 3 pages
The Crucible You walk up onto the platform, and realizing you are the center of attention you look down at the ground. The rope is placed around your neck; your hands and feet are tied together as you say your final prayer. You face the crowd that convicted you one last time as the floor beneath your feet drops out, and your neck is broken. This was the tragic death for many people living in Salem Massachusetts in 1692. The Salem Witch Trials killed nearly 6% of Salem's population. What were the main contributing factors in Salem that lead to the trials? Envy and jealously amongst the residents or were there religious fanatics within Salem? The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, holds the
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720 words - 3 pages
Maddie StewartSeptember 24, 2014B2The CrucibleThe characters in the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, have an enormous amount of pride. They are all known as good citizens in their community of Salem, for one reason or another, and they all would like to keep their good name. John Proctor would like to be known as the man who sticks up for the little person and always does the right thing. Reverend Parris is known for being the churchly figure that lives by the Bible and its teachings. Judge Danforth wants to be known as a steadfast judge who always makes the right decisions. When put in a difficult situation dealing with life or death, these characters choose to keep their reputations
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994 words - 4 pages
from unwinding through all of it contradictions down to its resolution, which in its time illuminates the whole from the beginning." During the course of "The Crucible," Arthur Miller toys with the idea of whom, men or women, control faith and fate. Throughout this play, Miller alludes to the fact that the men only think that they are in control, when in fact the women are in control. Man's perception of control comes from their interpretation of God's word. But, once God's work is changed into man's word, it is no longer what God meant it to be, rather it exists as what men desire to be God's word. "The Crucible" touches upon many points that discuss the
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915 words - 4 pages
The Crucible The Crucible by Arthur Miller is effective today because it exhibits emotional terrorism and the battle between free men and blind destruction of the mass. People must try to distinguish between right and wrong, and learn from past mistakes. This play symbolizes society's incapability's to learn from its mistakes. Emotional terrorism is deployed many times throughout the play. The people of Salem go into complete hysteria when they think girls in their town have become witches. It all begins when the town preacher finds his daughter, servant and other local girls dancing in the woods. Nothing else happened in the woods, but rumors start flying and the whole
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675 words - 3 pages
The CrucibleIn the play The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, some characters had an intense struggle between good and evil. A character who clearly displayed this quality was John Proctor. Many of his actions were good but he still made some major mistakes, which were extremely sinful in his society. Because of the mix of good and bad, he questioned his morality.A major sin in Mr. Proctor's life was when he had an affair with a younger woman. His wife was ill and he seemed to take advantage of that, by having an affair with the household servant at that time, Abigail Williams. Abigail felt very strongly for John but he did not feel the same, and realized he was making a huge mistake
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1407 words - 6 pages
There is an understood social order and staying in one’s place retains balance and order in a community or even a country. The leaders at the top are recognized to be equipped with great minds, worthy of the peoples trust, and strong enough to make the unpopular decisions. These substantial men in all their glory sit atop a mountain out of reach to the common man. Never would we encounter them misusing their power for personal gain or to act under the confines of tradition that no longer serve society justly. In the crucible the Puritans of Salem trust their divinely appointed ministers to sweep away the evil among them. The devout and loyal colonists wouldn’t expect the guardian ministers
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1160 words - 5 pages
The CrucibleThe people of Salem can hardly be condemned for their actions duringthe witch hunts of 1692, as described in the play The Crucible, for they weremerely products of their time. This is shown through an examination of thetheocratic society in which they lived, the patriarchal snobbery theyexhibited toward each other, their lack of medical technology and in depthknowledge of disease and of an analysis of the fear they displayed of theunknown. This is important as it shows that the Salemites were not entirelyevil people, for they were only reacting to a situation in the only suitablemanner they knew.At the time of the witch hunts, the Salemite's society was an organizedtheocracy in
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1098 words - 5 pages
John Proctor as a Tragic Hero
John Proctor became a tragic hero in “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller has brought a big problem to the Village of Salem, after Procto had an affair with Abigail Williams, she began to look for revenge and she started accusing people of witchcraft. John Proctor; a well-respected man in Salem, who is a hard worker always working for his family, love his children and his wife, is founded in a critical situation after committing adultery with a girl in the village. John Proctor, the protagonist of the play “The Crucible”, a well-respected man, a noble man who has done a lot for his family, possesses a major flaw he has had an affair with Abigail Williams, and
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1088 words - 4 pages
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a play about the Salem Witch Trials, in Salem, Massachusetts, in the year 1692. In this play, the characters are obsessed with goodness, and evil. In the 17th century, it was not acceptable to be evil, or have evil thoughts. Most fun was also considered evil. Characters in this play are caught "dancing," and it somehow turns into a witch-hunt. There are many evils in this play, like, greed, murder, vengeance, manipulation, obsession, lying, and lechery. The Puritan religion is the reason for why the people are being executed. The easiest evils to explain are obsession, lying, and manipulation.The biggest obsession in Salem is purity in the lives of the
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1388 words - 6 pages
In the past, every decade and every generation has had its momentous event that has shaped it and left a mark on its history. The 1600's were no different. In The Crucible, the author, Arthur Miller, demonstrates many examples of the complexity of “good” and “evil” in his characters. He does this through many characters, seen and unseen. The entire village bases its belief system on the conflict between Good vs. evil, or Satan vs. God. It may seem like evil is winning, as one innocent person after another is put to death. The towns people are mislabeling people as good or evil like Mary Warren, although they have very little evidence. Rebecca Nurse is an outstanding example of
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2728 words - 11 pages
The Crucible The light up ahead was calling him. Pulling him closer. Warmth filled him and radiated out of him. He had chosen wisely, he was safe now. Darkness, the light had gone. Now he was cold and unsure. A voice spoke out. "No John you have a final job to do. Elizabeth must be watched over." With that John Procter turned away from Heaven.It was cold and dark in jail. Elizabeth sighed, she was used to it now. A door was flung open and light streamed in. "You're all free to go," shouted one of the deputies. Elizabeth blinked in the bright light. Had she heard correctly? She could go home to her boy's? She stood up slowly, her swollen stomach was getting even larger. How could
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515 words - 2 pages
The Crucible is about the description of mind, because its theme is that people let their fears and hysteria get in the way of their judgment. Danforth refuses to pardon any accuses because he fells the consequences of ... the 12 deaths.The Crucible is about being part of a band wagon. The theme which is where people in Salem want to start doing witchcraft, because hey see everyone else doing it.Rebecca nurse is kind of one of them people that are on the bandwagon, but others want to join her. Because they accuse her of witchcraft, but she refuses to confess.The Crucible is about giving up, because many characters in the Crucible want to give up on themselves, and o each other. Because they
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733 words - 3 pages
The Crucible is a famous play written by Arthur Miller in the Early 1950’s. It was written during the “Red scare, when McCarthyism was established. Many anti-communists wanted to prevent communism from spreading just like in The Crucible many wanted to get rid of witchcraft. Many would accuse others of witchcraft in order to not be accused just like many would accuse people of communism. In The Crucible witchcraft would be punishable by death. Many were scared to be accused; therefore many would admit practicing witchcraft in order to save their lives. The Crucible is considered a good play because it is based on real life events during the Salem witch Trials and shows how fear played a
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987 words - 4 pages
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible incorporates narrative techniques to convey the central ideas of the text; an interpretation of the Salem witch trials, The Crucible is an allegory of the McCarthy era, detailing Miller’s criticisms of the political practice as a central theme of the text. Miller employs setting to establish the significance of good versus evil in a Puritan society under a theocratic government. Furthermore, characterisation is conveyed to reinforce the importance of reputation in the events of The Crucible. These narrative techniques, all of which highlight and elaborate on the central themes of the text allow the reader to comprehend the nature and response of citizens of a
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890 words - 4 pages
The Crucible by Arthur Miller talks of a group of Puritans who believe that witchcraft and wizardry is the Devil’s work. There was a story of the Puritans not being able to dance or sing because it was considered witchcraft, but it was a myth. Puritans were allowed to dance and sing. The characters within The Crucible were shown as the strict and precise Puritans who cared about their religious lives, more than their social lives, after their movement to Massachusetts. Even though there were several religions that were considered to be Puritans, they were all extremely precise when it came to their religion being questioned.
Puritans, whether they are Presbyterians or Congregationalists
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1204 words - 5 pages
In Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, feminism was not only allowed, but encouraged. This book demonstrates countless examples of feminism, and displays life as a puritan woman during the Salem Witch Trials. The definition of feminism is the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.(Feminism-Webster) During this time, women were treated unequal to the men, and looked down upon. They were held to very high standards, and had a lot expected from them. No women was allowed to have opinions, or feel emotion about anything. This is feminism at its best.
The life of a Puritan woman in The Crucible
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574 words - 2 pages
Hysteria The state of hysteria in a society can spread faster than a brush fire, and be more dangerous then a San Francisco earthquake. There is a process of four combined steps that will ultimately lead to this disaster; a fearful event, promotion of the event, attacks due to pretense, and total panic and chaos. Webster's dictionary defines hysteria as a state of unmanageable fear or excess. The process of hysteria is initiated by an event which brings fear, and will eventually cause social unrest, chaos, and distrust. This event usually involves a group of people and an issue that concerns the whole community. In the Crucible this can be seen when Abi and the other girls of Salem
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1919 words - 8 pages
Certainly one of the most prominent literary works of the mid-20th century is Arthur Miller's drama "The Crucible". On the outside it is a play in which private disputes erupt into enormous conflicts that affect the entire community. This much is obvious. At the heart and soul of the play, however, lies so much more. Because the characters' conflicts draw such an emotional response from the reader, an important element like the setting might go unnoticed. In reality the setting has much more bearing on the play than one might suppose. The Crucible certainly could not survive without its 17th century, New England setting, where the Puritan lifestyle was the normal. Not only is the play
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1007 words - 4 pages
Many times it has been said that if people learn form their mistakes they are doomed to repeat them. Such is the case throughout history. There are many different examples of this, but one example is the blatant similarities between the witch hunts in Salem Massachusetts and the era of McCarthyism. When looking at either one of theses events separately it is hard to believe that they could have actually happened, not only once but, twice. If one takes the time to look at both events simultaneously they are able to make many comparisons and enable numerous similarities be seen. In The Crucible Miller creates an analogy of the witch hunts in Salem to the investigation of communists by Joseph
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1219 words - 5 pages
1. The ‘confessions’ in the play are not usually about truth, as they are enforced and arise out of fear. Discuss the role you think confessions play in the dramatic force of this play.
Confessions within the play The Crucible are driven essentially by fear and are not based on the truth. Arthur Miller uses the concept of self-benefiting confession to show the dark side of Salem, creating a sense of dramatic tension and suspense. The confessions are used to drive the play towards the objective of Miller’s story, the crumbling of the Salem community and continuous hangings. Within the play The Crucible confessions are seen as a sign of purity as admitting guilt suggests personally
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1178 words - 5 pages
Themes in The Crucible
In the crucible Arthur Miller takes the chilling story of the Salem
witch hunt in 1692 and combines it with the issues of McCarthyism in
the 1950s. The play reflects Miller’s ideas and opinions about
McCarthyism and what he thinks are the similarities to the Salem witch
hunts. Proctor is the main character Millers uses to reflect the
unfairness of the Salem and McCarthy trials and how the truth died in
the 1950s. This makes Proctor’s role very dramatic and exciting.
Miller also uses a dramatic licence to make this even more so – adding
the love to Elizabeth and guilt about Abigail gives the story an
intriguing twist.
The whole nature of Proctor makes
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666 words - 3 pages
“I visited Salem for the first time on a dismal spring day in 1952….” (Miller 1095) that’s what started it all. Arthur Miller was motivated to write The Crucible due to the trauma done to the liberals during the McCarthyism trials. The question is, was he a little too motivated to write it? Could his thirst for vengeance for those accused fuel him to over-exaggerate what happened in order to prove a point? Arthur Miller overused his artistic license because Joseph McCarthy was accusing important people of being communists, he wasn’t exactly like Danforth, and some of the accused in the McCarthyism trials were actual communists.
To begin with, Joseph McCarthy wasn’t accusing unimportant
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1647 words - 7 pages
Arthur Miller's The Crucible
In The Crucible there are many different ways in which Arthur Miller
captivates the interest of the audience. These include the reasons for
which Arthur Miller wrote the play, and various themes within the play
such as love, hate, lies, betrayal, lust and injustice. There is an
interest in the nature of the community, the ways in which the law
operated and the moral and reasoning behind the people of that time.
This is also of interest when we look at the main characters within
the play. Many other factors such as relationships between different
characters and of course a good story line ensure that Arthur miller's
The
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626 words - 3 pages
The story The Crucible takes place during the times of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts. This was a time of much hypocrisy in the people of the town of Salem. Many people believed anything they heard or saw. Although The Crucible is fictitious, the story depicts the historical information of the Salem witch trials, and blends them with fictitious characters with minds of their own to create a very realistic plot and conflict in this story. This story has a few themes that are shown through the actions and the thoughts of the characters. One theme that I felt had an impact on the outcome of the story is Fear and suspicion can produce hysteria which results in the destruction and
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698 words - 3 pages
The Crucible is based around a small, religious town in Salem, Massachusetts. The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller around the theme of the Red Scare. Like the Red Scare, people were falsely accused of committing crimes against the people, however, unlike the Salem Witch Trials, the Red Scare was secular and focused around the Russian dictatorship. During The Crucible justice, integrity, and mass hysteria are all key themes.
Justice in Salem was determined by accusations of being the devil's servant, the church held all the power, and an appeals system was non-existent. The main way ‘witches’ were found was people accusing others of committing witchcraft. These baseless accusations led
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945 words - 4 pages
The Crucible Teaching In recent events in the United States, there was a terrible act of terrorism. Three planes were hi-jacked and blown up. Many buildings were destroyed and many more people were killed. This caused a great amount of stress and commotion throughout America. This same type of event happened in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. In the town of Salem, people save themselves by announcing that witches have corrupted their town. These same people also say that the devil has been grasping people's souls. This causes a huge sense of fear in the town. The girls of Salem are accusing only the people who they dislike. Nothing is normal and most of the characters in the play are only
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968 words - 4 pages
Throughout the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, one?s name is a very important motif that is carried out. Reputation is the general estimation in which a person is held by the public, as referred to by dictionary.com. Reputation is very important in Salem because public and private moralities are one and the same. Witchcraft plays a huge role throughout the book and if someone is being named a witch then that is a huge sin to Puritanism. Reputation is a huge key factor to even everyone?s daily life. As a young teenager in high school, a teen would like their reputation to be positive so that people think highly of that person. Same goes with the play The Crucible. Focused on maintaining
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1191 words - 5 pages
The Mccarthy era was a very drastic time during the 1950’s when ideas about communism disseminated throughout the United States, particularly the government. Author of The Crucible, Arthur Miller, was very critical of this time and used characters, plot events, setting and literary terms and features to convey his message. Miller creates an allegory by using Witchcraft as a controversial topic similar to how communism was during the McCarthy era, characters such as Danforth, Hathorne and Hale to compare to organizations and more characters such as Abigail and Procter to delineate specific people from The Great Fear.
Miller’s disapproval of McCarthy was blatantly inscribed into the play
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665 words - 3 pages
'The Crucible- Act Four' The scene in Act Four of The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, defines thecharacterization, themes, and conflicts of the play. The scene takes place in acourt dungeon where John Proctor, is confronted by his wife Elizabeth for thefirst time in many months. The couple is imprisoned on having been falselyconvicted of practicing witchcraft. While Elizabeth has been held with therest of the members of the community, John has been isolated in a dark,dingy, dungeon. He is to be hung for his 'crimes' the very next morning. Thecourt officials send Elizabeth in to convince John to confess in writing thatthe accusations against him are true and that the verdict is just
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1103 words - 5 pages
Arthur Miller's title for 'The Crucible' could be argued to be derived from from the
name of a small piece of chemistry equipment used to melt and combine substances, a place or situation in which different elements interact to produce something new, but especially a place or occasion of severe test or trial. The play is seen as a metaphor for the Salem community which was made up of many different, conflicting events. The events which transpire cause and allow many of the characters in this enclosed space to change. Miller wrote 'The Crucible' in the 1950s with numerous allegorical connections between the Witch trials of Salem and communist trials in America. In the United States during
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